Bishops' recorded pastoral for Sunday

Archbishop Paul Cremona and Gozo bishop Mario Cremona are expected to make a renewed appeal to churchgoers tomorrow with a recorded pastoral note.

In their last pastoral note, issued to priests in March but recently made public on the website of the Archdiocese, the bishops made it clear that all Christians who intend to vote ‘Yes’ in the referendum will be defying the will of God and the Magisterium of the Church.

“The Christian must take a decision to vote in favour or against divorce legislation in the light of his belief. For the Christian, a law that transforms marriage into something temporary runs counter to the will of Our Father. For this reason, the Christian who favours divorce will create a division between his beliefs and his intended decision: which decision will bear irreparable consequences.”

As ‘irreparable’ unequivocally means that no remedy will be possible, the Bishops’ warning places a Yes vote in the referendum firmly in the same category as a Mortal Sin: almost exactly half a century after the Church resorted to identical sanctions in its notorious 1961 altercation with the Labour Party.

“When the Christian recognises that his judgement does not tally with the teachings of Christ, as communicated by the Church, he will not be free from guilt if he does not realign his judgement with that teaching – because when [a Christian] consciously and freely breaks the moral law, he will be breaking his relation with God, the father of Our Lord Jesus Christ.”

It’s a question of how many people in Malta are aware that we’re actually dealing with a brotherhood of “qassissin-politikanti u politikanti-qassissin” to quote IPS. The most effective revolutions are done with a calm dignity.
For example, people can stop giving these hybrid priest-politicians any power by staying away from churches and political rallies; by speaking one’s mind via internet or face to face and by publicising a clear vision to save Malta’s soul, in particular, there is a need to remove compulsory church schools. Values, such as self discipline; integrity; kindness; patience; cooperation/diplomacy etc., can be promoted at home and in schools (especially by role modelling such behaviour) WITHOUT a sanctimonious hierarchy of posers.

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Perhaps Robert Mugabe, mass murderer etc, would like to have a copy of this especially the last paragraph. I am wary of the Medievel church threatening with Mortal Sin. Not that I care as I believe that HE would not approve the prevailing intolerance and religion of HATE and INTIMIDATION. Indeed the Church is in need of REFORM
@ Jude Philip well said. So few of us remember the Church wrongdoing in the 60s. The damage was done then. The so called socialists were banned from religious rights. What next in the 21st century from this old relic.
I look forward for the last week of infamy and hatred from the pulpit

I do not trust his big smile.
Look how he exiled Fr Montebello to the central American small town ruled by drug barons.

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Spoken by a good actor—and every great preacher, every success ful advocate and politician is, among other things, a consummate actor—words can exercise an almost magical power over their hearers. Because of the essential irrationality of this power, even the best-intentioned of public speakers probably do more harm than good.

Adrian Busuttil•

I am so going to enjoy voting YES YES YES YES YES YES!!!!!!!
Hey Bish - Leave politics to the "politicians" and stick to preaching the word of God. As things stand you preach politics and leave preaching the word of God to the "politicians".
Jeez!

duncan abela•

Rather than waste time or end worked up in being subjected to group pressure and a Pastoral letter aimed at brainwashing you dedicate the day of rest tomorrow to reflect on the divorce issue in a rational way and as a human person endowed with the intellect to freely decide without being subjected to spiritual pressure. Do this reflection in an altruistic way to mitigate the suffering of the unfortunates and in consonance with human ethical values of fairness and respect for minorities. Those suffering from the terrible effects of marriage breakdown deserve the civil right of having a second chance at happiness. We are on this earth for too short a time to suffer the lifelong effects of a marriage gone wrong. In particular do not shrug your shoulder and be smug if you are fortunate enough to be enjoying a happy marriage.

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Bishops of Malta and Gozo,
Whilst I agree that you have a duty to guide catholics regarding divorce, I totally disagree with the way you are doing it. Instilling fear and guilt is completely unacceptable especially when its coming from you. In my view, scaremongering, apart from causing more harm than good, goes completely contrary to the message God gives us in the New Covenant. All those who take the initiative to study the Gospel Truth - the Good News - and not just swallow everything they hear, know what I mean. And by the way, state and church, should be completely separate from each other just as Vatican Council II clearly shows, and you both know this. Sadly, in Malta (and Iran) it is not the case!

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this man gave the smile a bad name and rehabilitated gonzi...

Luke Camilleri•

And my humbe appeal to the Bishops is this hereunder quote;
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“You are priests, not social or political leaders. Let us not be under the illusion that we are serving the Gospel through an exaggerated interest in the wide field of temporal problems.”
- Pope John Paul II

So next Sunday we will be entertained by their Lordship's pastoral - Taliban style of course. All this from those who constantly utter Love in vain. We will be feeling so relieved that the church does not burn hundreds of poor witches and excommunicate and imprison Galileos any more. Whatever happened to acting according to one's well formed and informed conscience? The only thing one may say about conciseness in this situation is that these two leaders of the clergy will have the disaster that the local church is going to suffer on their conscience.

I AM QUITE TAKEN BY THE LAST TWO LINES OF THIS REFERENCE.
When a Christian consciously and freely breaks the moral law, he will be breaking his relation with God, the father of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
EXCELLENCIES CREMONA & GRECH SHOULD WE CONSIDER THIS TO INCLUDE SEXUAL ABUSE CASES OF PRIESTS THAT ARE STILL OPERATING IN YOUR DIOCESE AND WHERE THOSE ABUSED ARE STILL LEFT WAITING FOR A RESOLVE OR THE UNSPEAKABLE HARM DONE TO THE PEOPLE OF MALTA IN 1960'S & 1970'S BY THOSE THAT ARE STILL WITHIN THE HEART & SOUL OF THE MALTESE CATHOLIC CHURCH THAT HAS ONCE AGAIN SHOWN THE WORLD HOW HYPOCRITICAL, DICTATORIAL, VINDICTIVE AND DEMORALIZING IT COULD BE.
NOT TOO LONG AGO THE CHURCH APOLOGISED FOR IT'S ACTIONS IN THE 60'S & 70'S.
HOW LONG IS IT GOING TO TAKE FOR THE CHURCH TO APOLOGISE FOR YOUR ACTIONS THIS YEAR?

Reminds me of Mubarack's appeals on television, just before he lost political power during the recent Arab Spring Revolution...

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A golden opportunity has been lost by the local Catholic church to show that it is kind and compassionate. Instead, we have a cold, sly and greedy church grasping to power by all means possible: from subtle persuasion to coercion and moral sanction.
The local church relies on the bigots that sustain it, and the gullible, to do its bidding on Saturday and sing Hosanna on Sunday.
Yes...the local bishops and their priests have read and understood Machiavelli very well!

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Archbishop the time will come when you will have to apologize for the harm your church is once again doing to the Maltese people, only this time no one will believe you.

Ian George Walker•

I think it would be useful to look at this picture and reflect - if a mass murderer can receive communion in the presence of the Pope himself, maybe it's not so bad to vote in a way that gives suffering people a second chance of finding happiness.
http://www.il-pjazza.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=10075.0;attach=3416;image

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'when [a Christian] consciously and freely breaks the moral law, he will be breaking his relation with God, the father of Our Lord Jesus Christ.”
How many of these so called man of god FREELY broke moral and Christian law by abusing children and threatening the public in general with mortal sin and denying them the sacraments !. ' irreparable consequences.' dear bishop is for you and your organization!,

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defying the will of god?
Their God has never dictated this "will", or anything else to anybody. the fables written in the Bible have created and composed by man, translated by man and corrupted by man, to the effect that the legends therein are totally inconsistent and contradictory. Something a "perfect" God would not have blundered in, so magnificently.

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Archbishop Paul Cremona you are free to continue to harm our church but
note that war does not determine who is right -- only who is left. If I agree
with you, we'd both be wrong. The divorce debate will keep going till the next general elections. Because it is all a political issue and you know it.

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Irreparable consequences my foot if the bishops are alluding to mortal sin. If one votes YES and the day after goes and confesses the priest is duty bound to forgive his sin. If a murderer confesses his crime he is forgiven.
BTY Robert Mugabe a mass murderer, monogamist, corrupt dictator was given holy communion in St. peter's square on 1st May. Did he confess his sins before?

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Our smiley Archbishop should give instructions that all church goers on Sunday be given a photo of MUGABE who was given Holy Communion at the VATICAN on the 1st May on the beatification of Pope Woltiya. Mugabe is not notorious for standing up against the civil right of divorce but for the atrocious and ruthless way that he has ruled Zimbabwe for the past twenty years if not more. Nevertheless the Church saw fit to give Holy Communion to this criminal.

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A church which calls physical and psychological abuse between partners a Holy Union is well DIVORCED from the scriptures.
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A church which fills its orphanages with its own secret lineage is what the scriptures might call FORNICATION.
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A church which relentlessly abuses its baptized sexually, psychologically and emotionally is the ANTI-CHRIST
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It’s wakey wakey time. We need to look after good and innocent people including blind and innocent adherents who are too scared to look at the SAD MONSTER IN THEIR MIDST in the face.
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ANTI-CHRIST means doing the opposite of what Jesus intended whilst using his name to fool the people.

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What about Matthew 19:9 where Christ clearly states that divorce is acceptable in case of infidelity?
For more stories on the hypocrisy of the church and politicians log on:
http://mazzun.wordpress.com/2011/05/21/fenech-adami-annullamenti-iva-3-divorzju-le/#more-951

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I am not surprised at this move. ZbD for all it's funds, billboards and PN media support failed to make significant inroads against IVA judging by the surveys so far. Therefore that the big brother church has to step in to try the final 'mortal sin card'.
Let us see if this referendum will be the triumph of religious stupidity over common sense.

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A decree dated 6 July from the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts has supported earlier statements by two other Vatican bodies: the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Congregation for Divine Worship. The former Congregation, in an October 1994 letter to the world's bishops, had insisted that - contrary to the suggestion of some theologians and pastors, especially in Western Europe, - divorced and remarried Catholics should not be admitted to receive the Eucharist.
In the latest statement, the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legilative Texts cites #915 of the Code of Canon Law, which stipulates that Catholics "who obstinately persist in grave sin, are not to be admitted to Holy Communion." Christians who abandon a valid marriage in order to form another union are, in effect, involved in an adulterous relationship, and thus a grave sin.
The Pontifical Council allows that some divorced and remarried couples, "for serious reasons," such as the welfare of their children, might continue to live together "as brother and sister." In such cases, they are not involved in grave sin, and may receive the Eucharist. However, the decree cautions that these couples should use discretion, especially if their marital status is well known, so that they do not give rise to scandal.
It is in order to avoid the risk of scandal, the Council continues, that the Church must - "with extreme charity" - refuse Communion to those who are divorced and remarried. When that situation arises, the document adds, the pastor should "explain the reasons that constrain him, at an opportune moment."
http://www.ad2000.com.au/articles/2000/aug2000p4_221.html
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Live free or live like a slave.

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The last great hurray or a dead-cat bounce?

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The Maltese bishops will make a final appeal to churchgoers to vote against divorce on Sunday.
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They have every right. The vatican says that too all his followers.
http://www.ad2000.com.au/articles/2000/aug2000p4_221.html
he Vatican office charged with the interpretation of Church law has reaffirmed that Cathlics who are divorced and remarried should not receive Holy Communion.
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Well everyone has the right to speak.
"But it's the people's final desicion that counts".
Some people live their life freely on their own conscious/moralities.
and some people live their lives ,"As Slaves".
RESIST OR SERVE.